Problem:

For what specific question are you trying to find an answer?

Example:

Does the density of a liquid affect its ability to flow?

Hypotheis:

Make a prediction before beginning your experiment and state why you are making this prediction. This will help you stay focused on the problem you are trying to solve. It does not matter if your prediction is right or wrong. 

Example:

If a liquid has a high density, then it will flow more slowly, because the molecules are more closely packed and cannot move as freely.

Rough Plan:

Write a plan for solving the problem, before you talk to your other group members. Your original ideas and creative thinking are important.

Example:

I will have a race. If I drop a capful of several fluids of different densities on a slanted board, I can time how long it will take to reach the finish line.

Final Plan:

Now it is time to think critically. Discuss your ideas with the group. Decide which plan, or combination of plans will best solve the problem. Try out your ideas using the materials at hand. Modify your plan to accommodate your materials and time and to minimize design errors.

Example:

The group liked your plan, the best but when you tried it out, the fibers on the slanted board slowed down some of your fluids. This created another variable – friction. And the friction varied from location to location on the slant board. To decrease the friction, your group tried the experiment in a glass test tube.

Data Chart:

Before running the experiment, you must lay out a data chart to organize your readings. The units should be pre-labeled. This will keep you from mixing and matching units, which could lead to calculation errors later.

Example:

Graph:

Although the table will tell you, which liquid won the race, a graph will let you know if the relationship is random, linear, inversely linear etc. If there is a relationship between density and time, the graph will also enable you to write an equation that will predict future times based on density. This may be important to a volcanologist who must evacuate an area before an eruption or to a materials engineer who must design apparatus for a production line.

Variables:

     Independent – This is the factor that            you change in order to monitor the results. (Density). By convention, it is plotted on the horizontal axis of the graph.

     Dependent – This is the factor that you measure to evaluate the results.

 (Time). By convention, it is plotted on the vertical axis of the graph.

     Controlled – These are factors that you hold constant to make it a fair experiment ( slope of the test tube, temp. of the liquids etc.)

Conclusion:

Based on your experiment, what is the answer to the problem?

Examples:

1)     If the density of a liquid decreases, the ability to flow will also decrease.  Or

2)       There is no relationship between the density and the ability to flow.

Extension: After completing this experiment, is there another related experiment that you would like to try.

Example: Is there a relationship between the temperature of a liquid and the ability to flow?